


Now Death Where Is Your Sting?

by mrbubbles



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 18:57:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11515431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrbubbles/pseuds/mrbubbles
Summary: Finn Shelby x Reader





	1. Chapter 1

“Come on, Finn, I need to go,” Y/N tried to pull herself away from her boyfriend. She was sat on his lap, his arm wrapped around her waist. Isaiah sat on the other side of the booth with a girl he picked up in the pub on his lap as well. “I have to get up early for work,” Finn, still on his Tokyo high, began kissing up and down her neck. 

 

“One more drink, Y/N,” Finn begged in her ear, nipping it.  

 

“No, Finn. I can’t be late again,” 

 

“Ah, the ol’ hag won’t do nothin’,” Finn dismissed flippantly.

 

“That ‘ol’ hag’ is my boss. The last time I came in late because of one of your benders, I was sure she was going to wring my neck with the measuring tape,” He continued kissing down to her shoulder. “I mean it, Finn. If she hadn’t been using it on a customer, she would’ve used it on me,”

 

“Alright, alright,” Finn surrendered. Y/N lifted herself off of his lap, then bent over to give him a kiss goodnight. 

 

“I’ll walk you,” Finn made to get up, but Y/N held out her hand to stop him

 

“Nah, stay and have fun. I don’t live too far. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” Finn nodded. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Y/N said to Isaiah, making him chuckle. 

 

“We’ll see,” He nuzzled his face into the girl’s neck, making her giggle.

 

“And you,” Y/N cupped Finn’s face, his pupils were dilated. “Be good,” She gave him one more kiss before grabbing her coat and taking her leave. Y/N waved to Harry and a few of the regulars and made her way out to the chilly Birmingham streets. The apartment her family rented was only a few blocks away from the Garrison. Y/N walked as briskly as her heels would allow her. The further away from the Garrison, the fewer people were on the streets. About two blocks away from her home, she heard footsteps quickly coming behind her. Y/N turned her head, not stopping, to see who was behind her. A man was behind her, staring directly at her, a lecherous grin spread on his mouth. 

 

“Where you in a ‘urry to, lit’le birdy,” The man chuckled.

 

“Fuck off, I’m with the Blinders,” Usually that’s enough to scare anyone in their right mind away, but he continued on. 

 

“It’s dark and late, lit’le bird, for you to be out on your own. You never know what kind o’ monsters crawl in the shadows,”

 

“I’m serious. Fuck off. I’m with the Shelbys and unless you want this to be your last night on this god forsaken earth, you’d better fuckin’ leave,”

 

“Ye have some fight in ye,” With that, he rushed behind her and threw her into an alley between two shops. As her head bounced against the brick wall, she was stunned. “Ye think I’m scared of the fuckin’ Shelby’s?” He yanked her arms behind her back and held them at the wrist, bringing his mouth close to her ear. His putrid breath wafted into her nose, making her eyes water.

 

“Get off me!” Y/N screamed, hoping someone would hear her. “HEL-“ The man grabbed her hair at the back of her head and slammed it against the brick wall once more, effectively shutting her up. Y/N could feel warm blood run down the side of her face. 

 

“You stupid bitch,” The jingle of a zipper could be heard behind her. It was enough to make her struggle as much as possible. “Stay still and this’ll all be over,” He tried to lift her dress, while also trying to hold her still. 

 

“Help me!” She screamed out. He pushed her head once more, this time face first, into the wall. A sickening crunch echoed in the alley. Y/N saw white light, and a rush of blood came pouring out of her now broken nose. All of her fight left her as the pain in her face became unbearable. 

 

“That’s it,” He used her weakness to push her completely up against the bricks, leaving her no wiggle room. Y/N could taste the blood running down her throat, making her gag viciously. “Don’t you fucking puke on me,” The man growled, still trying to free himself from his pants. Y/N spat a mouthful of blood in his face, causing him to let go of her and back up, covering his face with his hands. “What the fuck!” He screamed at her and gave her a swift backhand, making her fall to the ground, causing a passing man to look down the alley. Y/N knew a Blinder when she saw one and immediately started scrambling towards him.

 

“Help!” She made it a few feet before the man with blood running down his face caught her once more from behind. The man stopped, watching the scene before him. This just looked like a whore who got herself in a jam. It wasn’t his business.

 

“Keep walking if you know what’s good for ye,” He growled to the Blinder. Not wanting any trouble since he was alone, the man began walking away.

 

“Please, I’m with the Shelbys!” This caught the passerby’s attention. The Blinder took his hat off, holding it in a fist. The razorblades glinted in the moonlight, causing the attacker to stop in his tracks. The man started down the alley, causing the attacker to tuck tail and run to the opposite end, disappearing into the darkness. Y/N rested her bruising cheek to the ground and gave a deep sigh, closing her eyes. Blood still seeped from her nose and she could feel it coating her mouth. The sound of running footsteps made her open her eyes.


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn Shelby x Reader

“Christ,” The man kneeled down and tried to get Y/N in a sitting position. Once he got a good look at her face, he winced. “I need to get you to a doctor, alright?” Y/N shook her head.

 

“I just need to go home,” Y/N slurred.

 

“Miss, your face, it’s bleedin’ real bad,” Y/N shook her head once more.

 

“Please, I just need to get home. Please,” He furrowed his eyebrows, then sighed. 

 

“Alright, up you go,” He helped lift her to her feet. She gave a little stumble; the strap to her right heel had snapped in the scuffle. The man helped her down the street. Once they passed under a streetlamp, he got a good look at her face. “Yer with the young Shelby lad, yeah? I’ve seen you around the Garrison,” He kept rambling on, not letting silence fall on them for a second. When they reached her door, she turned to him. 

 

“Thank you,” He nodded “And not a word of this to anyone, understand?” His eyes widened and he shook his head.

 

“I ‘ave to, miss. I’d be deader than a doornail, I would, if I di’n tell the Shelby’s wha’ ‘appened. I know the slime tha’ did this to ye, so there will be a reckonin’, don’ you worry ‘bout tha’.” Y/N just sighed and unlocked her door. She thanked the man again and entered the apartment. He waited until the door was shut and he heard the lock click into place before heading to make a phone call.

 

* * *

 

“Good Heavens, girl, what on God’s Green Earth happened to your face?” Mrs. Williby gasped as Y/N entered the shop the next morning. 

 

“Unfortunately, it was the one I was born with, Mrs. Williby,” Y/N quipped. The senior seamstress tutted at the young girl, fixing a motherly glare on her features, and came over to inspect the damage. Y/N sighed. “I had a rough night last night,” Y/N’s mind flashed back to setting her nose when she got home. The crack still echoing in her mind. A nasty bruise set along the top of her left cheek, close to the under-eye area, extending over the bridge of her nose, and to the top of her right cheek, thanks to the brick wall that met her face multiple times. Her skin had also split on the side of her head from the first hit.

 

“And where was your Blinder when all this happened?”

 

“I left him behind at the Pub,”

 

“Now why would you do a bloody thing like that, you silly girl?”

 

“Lapse in judgement, clearly,”

 

“You bloody think?” Mrs. Williby started pushing Y/N to the back room.

 

“Ah, yes. Hide me and my deformities as if I were the bloody Hunchback of Notre Dame. Off to my bell tower I go,”

 

“Oh stop it. I just can’t have ye scaring away all of me customers. There’s plenty for ye to do back there.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Y/N putzed around, doing quick mends and repairs throughout the day. About an hour ’til close, the bell rang as someone opened the door to the shop.

 

“Where is she, Mrs. Williby?” Finn’s voice was muffled by the door that shut Y/N off from the shop. 

 

“Lad, you’re lucky I don’t ben’ ye o’er my knee and give ye a good swattin’. Lettin’ the girl out alone. At night. In Birmin’ham. What were ye thinkin’?”

 

“Mrs. Williby,” Finn raised his voice.

 

“Don’ ye be takin’ tha’ tone with me, young Finn Shelby. I ain’ afraid to tan the eldest of the Shelby hides. You’d best remember tha’,” Y/N could imagine Finn covering his face with his hands, dragging them down his features in frustration.

 

“Mrs. Williby,” He started again, taking a deep breath, “Could you please tell me where she is?” She grunted.

 

“Tha’s better, lad. A lit’le bit o’ manners will do ye some good,” She pointed to the door leading to the back.

 

“Thank you,” 

 

* * *

 

 

Finn opened the door without preamble, shocked at what he saw when he opened it. He stood there for a moment, staring at the bruised and broken face of the girl he was supposed to protect. After he didn’t say anything for a few more moments, Y/N spoke up.

 

“What? Have I got something on my face?” She tried to crack a joke, but that just sent Finn right over the edge.

 

“You think this is funny?” He let himself in and shut the door behind him. She stayed sitting, sewing a new button onto a dress. 

 

“No, considering I look hideous enough to get shoved back here, but yelling isn’t going to help anything,”

 

“I knew ye shouldn’t have gone by yourself. This is all my fault,” Finn started to pace, rubbing his face with his hands. He walked over to Y/N and cupped her face lightly. His thumbs ghosted over the bruises covering her cheeks, and shook his head. “Did he…do…anything to ye?” He motioned down with his eyes. Y/N placed the needle and the dress down on the table in front of her and gave him her attention.

 

“Aside from breaking my face, no.” She said shortly. “But that wasn’t for a lack of trying,” Y/N felt tears bubble to the surface. Her hands came up to clasp around his. Y/N felt scabs across his knuckles and brought one of his hands down to look at it. Open wounds that started to scab over were present along the ridges of his knuckles. She looked up at him, questioningly. Finn leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, the act intimate, calming.

 

“He won’t be bothering you, or anyone for that matter, ever again. He paid for what he did, and what he tried to do. I am so sorry, love. I’m so sorry,” Y/N lifted her face away from his.

 

“Stop, Finn. I should’ve just stayed with you last night, but that’s besides the point now. I’ve learned my lesson,”

 

“This isn’t your fault,”

 

“You’re right, but I should’ve used my thick head,”

 

“When Tommy told me what happened, I saw red. I went after the bastard. I’m not going to lie; I did something that I’ve never done in my life. Something I didn’t think myself capable of,”

 

“Finn,” Y/N interrupted, but he held his hand out. Y/N noticed blood staining the white cuffs of his shirt.

 

“No, let me finish. When Russ told Tommy what that son of a bitch did to you, I felt angry enough to kill a hundred men with my bare hands. And now that I see it, face to face, what that fuck got was less than he deserved.” Tears streamed silently down her bruised face. “I’m supposed to protect you and I failed you. I love you with everything that I have and I just let you walk out of the Garrison as if you were nothing,” Y/N stood up. 

 

“You stop that right now, Finn Shelby. You did what I couldn’t do and took care of-”

 

“No. I know what happens to girls that go walkin’ ‘round Birmingham at night and I still let you do it.” Y/N wrapped herself around his slender torso, careful of her face. “Things could’ve been so much worse than they turned out, Y/N. Do you understand that?” Y/N nodded against him.

 

“Please, just hold me,”

 

 

Now Death where is your sting?

Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated 

 


End file.
